More snow possible into Sunday

This mornings snow sure put everyone in a bad mood in Montreal. I took more abuse today for being a weather nerd than I can remember since my high school days. Around 5cm of snow fell rapidly between 5 and 8am snarling morning traffic and adding to the frustrations of a long winter and late spring. The much advertised warm air was tempered by heavy rain most of the day with about 13mm here on L'Ile Perrot. That managed to keep temperatures in check with a high of only 3C which is still below normal. It is still raining tonight as a cold front moves across the St. Lawrence Valley. Temperatures will drop tonight to just below freezing as the front moves south of Montreal and into central New York state. We may see some brief sun on Saturday with a high of 4C. Clouds will increase late in the day with snow developing by evening.

WEEKEND STORM?
The aforementioned front will stall across New York state and become the focus for moisture moving north from the Gulf of Mexico. This sets up a difficult forecast for the weekend. Previous thinking was the front would move far enough south to leave us under high pressure with sunshine and mild air for the weekend. It does not look like that now. The front will remain close enough to draw moisture into southern Quebec. To add to this complicated forecast will be a developing low pressure over North Carolina that will move along the east coast. Both these features will combine to produce a period of wet snow Saturday night into Sunday morning. The question is will it be cold enough for accumulating snow? If it is we may see 10-15cm of snow from Montreal into northern New York and the Townships by Sunday morning. Currently winter storm watches have been hoisted for the Townships and northern NY/Vermont.

White hurricane moves away from Maritimes - warmer soon

NOAA image of the "white hurricane" pounding Atlantic Canada. Montreal remained on the far western edge of the cloud shield with gusty north winds yesterday.

It basically was a white hurricane that pounded Atlantic Canada on Wednesday. Reports of 25-50cm of snow being blown around by winds either side of 100km/h all day and at times as high as 170km/h. Grand Etang on Cape Breton Island had a wind gust to 171km/h (106 mph). This remarkable storm wound up like a spinning top quickly with a central pressure all the way down to 955mb. For a time it was the strongest storm anywhere on the planet. This morning the precipitation has moves into the coastal waters as well as Newfoundland, but winds remain gusty with several reports to 90 and 100km/h. The Trans Canada Highway between New Brunswick and Nova Scotia was closed for most of the last 24 hours but has since opened. Visibility was near zero for most of the period but has started to improve very slowly. Prince Edward Island remains closed with roads blocked by 53cm of snow. The Confederate Bridge is still shut down. Most Island roads are impassable and all flights have been cancelled. Schools and businesses are shut for a second day. Power outages are widespread across the region with utilities working in less than ideal conditions to restore electricity. Newfoundland Power has warned that is could take several days to bring all customers back onto the grid.

All travel including Halifax public transit ground to a halt in the afternoon in dangerous weather with zero visibility. (Radio Canada)

MONTREAL WEATHER
The silver lining from all this is that warmer air is on the horizon for most of eastern Canada. It will not be tropical but high temperatures will nudge above 0C on Friday and into the middle single digits to perhaps 10C (50F) over the weekend form Ontario east into storm weary Atlantic Canada. After the cold this morning, -14C currently, we will have a high of -2C. Montreal will have a period of rain and snow mixed beginning this afternoon and persisting into Friday with perhaps 2-5cm. The weekend at this time looks dry for southern Quebec and mild between 7 and 9C (45-50F). There is another much weaker coastal system expected to move northeast on Sunday that could bring more snow or rain to portions of eastern Quebec, at this time passing to far east to affect Montreal.

Deepening winter storm hitting Atlantic Canada

Sea Dog Pub on Nantucket this morning. It is being battered by hurricane force winds and heavy snow. This weather is moving into Nova Scotia and New Brunswick. (Weather Nation Twitter Photo)

Montreal and most of Quebec remain on the periphery of a powerful ocean storm this morning. Montreal can expect a cold north wind up to 40km/h as well as some high cirrus clouds but nothing more. This classic Nor'Easter has undergone significant strengthening overnight bombing out, that is dropping 24mb of pressure in 24 hours. Actually it has deepened by 15mb in the last three hours alone. It is a classic storm, very strong for this time of year with winds approaching hurricane force along the coast of Massachusetts this morning.

Water vapor image of this classic ocean storm with a central pressure as low as 955mb forecast. (NOAA)

Most of the snow associated with this storm is occurring along the coast and offshore as far as New England is concerned. It is a different story in the Maritimes where blizzard warnings are up for all of Nova Scotia, PEI and portions of southern and eastern New Brunswick. The Gaspe region and Lower North Shore will have heavy snow and strong winds as well. Accumulations across Eastern Canada will range form 25-50cm (10-20 inches). Combined with the snow will be winds in the 100km/h range possibly as high as 150km/h over Cape Breton and then into coastal Newfoundland. Already this morning we are seeing wind reports up to 60-70 mph in coastal New England including Nantucket and Cape Cod. Needless to say travel disruptions, school closing and power outages are being reported across that region as well as into Atlantic Canada. Winds will increase dramatically in Nova Scotia over the next few hours.

Powerful Atlantic storm to develop today

AccuWeather map showing the forecast location of major storm over the Atlantic on Wednesday. Montreal will not be affected by the system but it will drive cold northerly winds down the St. Lawrence Valley through Thursday.

We are still on track to see much warmer air and spring weather arrive in Montreal by the weekend, but before then, there are a few hurdles in our way. The first being this stubborn cold air that has my thermometer showing -13C this morning, another cold morning in this endless streak. We will warm today to -1C, still well below normal, but pleasant in the sunshine.

The second is an advancing trough of low pressure that will move into the region late today and on Wednesday with perhaps a little light snow. At the same time a very strong winter storm will take shape off the Carolina coast today and explode into a monster ocean storm. This system has the potential to be as strong as a category one hurricane with winds in excess of 110km/h, towering waves and surf as well as copious precipitation. The low is forecast to move from the middle Atlantic off the New England Coast and finally just east of Nova Scotia by late Wednesday. Blizzard warnings are in effect for portions of Atlantic Canada with very dangerous travel conditions expected there Wednesday. Snowfall is forecast in the 20-50cm range along with winds from 90 to as high as 150km/h in gusts. The system will remain far enough offshore to only affect coastal areas of New England and perhaps just clip the Gaspe region of Quebec. It will help push gusty northeast winds down the St. Lawrence Valley with clouds and flurries expected and cold air remaining in place through Wednesday with highs of only -4C in Montreal.

Warming trend finally in sight for Montreal

Saturdays snowfall was intense but thankfully short, dumping 10-15cm of snow here on L'Ile Perrot, across Montreal and into the Ottawa Valley. (Valley Weather Photo)

We have an active week of weather ahead for many portions of the country but it will end with a definite warming trend and feeling like spring. Montreal had a rather quick but heavy snowfall on Saturday with close to 15cm of wet snow falling in just a few hours over most of the region including Cornwall and the Ottawa Valley. The snow started around 8am and was over by 2pm in Montreal with sunshine talking over for late in the day. The snow created the usual problems on Quebec roads with two major accidents affecting Highway 20 near Quebec City. The system was followed by very cold air and gusty winds for Sunday and that cold will prevail until Tuesday. Temperatures will be well below normal with lows near -18C and highs no better than -5C.

By late Tuesday a very strong low pressure area will form near the Carolina coast and race northeast towards Atlantic Canada. This will be an intense ocean storm remaining offshore of New England with high winds near hurricane force, heavy surf and snow. It looks like all of the weather associated with this storm will stay away from southern Quebec with just a few flurries and a gusty north wind expected. This will not be the case in Nova Scotia, PEI and New Brunswick where a full fledged spring blizzard is likely on Wednesday. What this storm will do for all of us is create a major pattern shift with the polar jet lifting back north of Montreal and allowing some much needed mild air into the region. Temperatures by next weekend will go well above freezing to plus 8C with rain likely. This trend will continue into the first week of April with lots of melting expected. Lets hope we have seen the last of winter 2013-2014.

Snowfall Warning

Snowfall warnings remain in effect along the St. Lawrence Valley from Montreal to Kingston today. Heavy snow with visibility down to under 1km is now falling in Cornwall and this will rapidly spread east into Montreal early this morning. Snow will be wet and heavy and taper off rapidly this afternoon. Look for a quick 10cm of snow for most places with as much as 15cm between Montreal and the US border. This will make road conditions very poor through the middle hours of the day with low visibility and icy roads. Temperatures will be near 0C (32F) today cooling off considerably tonight down to -12C. It will also turn windy tonight, out of the northwest at 30-50km/h with a few flurries.

On Sunday look for clearing skies, but temperatures will remain cold with daytime highs of -7C, well below the normal high of plus 5C. Most of the upcoming week looks quiet with lots of sunshine and a very slow warming trend that will see daytime highs finally go above freezing by late in the week.

COASTAL STORM
There is one glitch in the forecast and that is on Wednesday. Computer models have a very large and intense coastal low forming over the open waters of the Atlantic and tracking into the Maritimes. It will bring a very strong storm to Atlantic Canada and possibly coastal New England but at this time looks to travel well south and east of southern Quebec. It will need to be monitored in case the track shifts to the west.

More snow for Montreal

4pm Update: Snowfall Warning for metro Montreal, southern Quebec and most of Eastern Ontario for up to 15cm of wet snow overnight and Saturday. Winter weather advisory for upstate New York and Vermont. (3-6")

It is a chilly, breezy morning here on L'Ile Perrot with a current temperature of -3C but a gusty northwest wind up to 50km/h making it feel colder. A little light snow fell overnight, enough to coat the ground. Yesterday was rather mild with a high of  4C, and after the 3cm of snow that fell in Montreal we had about 6mm of rain. Today should be cloudy for the most part with temperatures right around 0C for a high.

We are expecting another shot of snow tonight and Saturday morning as low pressure moves from the Great Lakes across upstate New York. Snow should start in the pre-dawn hours in Montreal and continue through most of the morning. Amounts should range from 5-10cm in the city with perhaps as much as 15cm along the US border. Winds will be rather strong as well in the 20-40km/h range, so travel will be affected. No warnings are in place at this time but I will monitor the system today and post if any are issued. Environment Canada does have a special weather statement issued for the system. Colder air will move in behind the snow through next Wednesday with below normal lows in the minus teens and daytime highs around -4C.

Spring arrives today...at least on the calendar

Spring arrives today at 12:57 PM as the sun crosses the equator and moves into the Northern Hemisphere. The days are getting longer and in time the sun and warmth will win out over the cold and snow. In time, but for now the forecast does not look anything like spring. Please don't shoot the messenger, like everyone, I am so tired of this winter! While not being the worst I have seen, it has been relentless.

A photo from the Vermont State Police taken on I-89 this morning of a not so spring like message.

On Tuesday, Toronto reached the dubious distinction, for them anyway, of having at least 1cm of snow on the ground for 100 consecutive days. So I thought I would take a look at Montreal, specifically Trudeau Airport where the official stats are kept. Our first snowfall was November 26th, since that day we have had 109 days of snow accumulation on the ground greater than 1cm. That includes 100 consecutive days as off today. We had 4 such days in November, 27 days in December, followed by all of January, February and so far March. So indeed it has been a long winter. The piles of dirty snow sit high on everyone's front lawns and in parking lots across the city melting a little each day. Add to that all the frigid cold, strong winds and freezing rain and it has been a challenging few months for sure.

That brings us to this morning. We had a few centimetres of slushy wet snow overnight in Montreal, that has since turned to light rain. We are sitting just above the freezing point at 2C. Snow is still falling up towards Quebec City and north of St. Jerome in the Laurentians. Low pressure will pass east of Montreal this morning with light rain and snow tapering off. Temperatures will make it to 4C (39F) before sliding back below freezing tonight. More light snow is expected this evening. A few hours of clearing may take place Friday before another clipper system brings more snow, perhaps as much as 5-10cm into Saturday. Temperatures will be mild or near normal into Saturday before more cold air arrives on Sunday with well below normal temperatures into next week, lows in the minus teens and highs around -4C. As I said, don't shoot the messenger!

Winter hangs on in Quebec

The story remains the same across southern Quebec and a large part of eastern North America, cold. Despite the Vernal Equinox being less than 48 hours away, spring is nowhere to be found. It is cold again this morning with the low at -17C at my home, well below the normal low of -6C. Again we will slowly warm today and reach -4C by late this afternoon. Tonight will not be as cold as a southwest wind develops ahead of the next low pressure area from the central plains. This low will pass across the Great Lakes and into Ontario passing north of Montreal. Clouds will increase early Wednesday followed by milder air with a rain/snow mix expected across Ontario and Quebec from midday Wednesday into early Thursday morning. The Ottawa Valley could see 5-10cm of snow while I expect amounts will be less than 5cm for Montreal as we mix and change to rain later in the day. Temperatures will warm to above freezing at 2C (36F), but that is still below normal.

Looking ahead we have a chance for more snow on Saturday, perhaps as much as 10cm in Montreal followed by another surge of cold air from Sunday into next week. It is worth mentioning that the law for having snow tires installed on your vehicle came to an end March 15. That being said, I will not be taking mine of anytime soon and you probably should not either.

Frigid March morning

One of the perils of this winter across Eastern North America has been the tremendous build up of ice and snow that is loosening in the March sun. In the past week, several large chunks of ice have fallen from roofs and struck cars. Thankfully no one has been seriously hurt. The ice above fell from an apartment roof in Connecticut last week. (Photo NBC Connecticut)

We just missed the record low this morning in Montreal at the airport at least, dropping to -16C, the record was -20C set in 1950. It was cold everywhere with -20C on L'Ile Perrot, -26C in Lennoxville and Granby, -24C in St. Jerome and -22C in Cornwall.

This morning was also the coldest St. Patrick's Day morning in 129 years in Burlington, Vermont where it is currently -8F (-22C), the record was -6F (-21C) set in 1885. Look for a rapid increase in temperatures today under light winds and the warm March sun. High temperatures are forecast around -6C, a vast improvement over the -9C on Sunday with those biting northwest winds. The cold and wind failed to keep large crowds from enjoying the 191st Annual St. Patrick's Day Parade in Montreal. Temperatures were around -10C with a gusty wind that made it feel closer to -20C. But a least it was dry and sunny. The event has never failed to run, despite terrible weather some years with cold, wind snow and rain. That included the March 1993 parade that was held the morning after the super storm that dumped 45cm of snow on the city. Snowplows were part of the parade, but the event went on.

This week will be a little milder, but still below normal for mid to late March. Sunshine today and Tuesday will be replaced by clouds with flurries or showers for Wednesday and Thursday. It will be chilly today, but warm to above freezing by Wednesday.

Temperature roller coaster ride for Montreal

After the snow of Wednesday and Thursday we are waking to clear skies in Montreal, but it is cold with the current temperature and our morning low here on L'Ile Perrot at -19C. It is a touch milder at the airport at -17C. The final snow totals are in and they fell into the forecast amount of 15-25cm, the most here on L'Ile Perrot and points south to the US border, with lesser amounts on the island of Montreal north into Laval and the Laurentians. Officially the airport had 17cm, while I measured 20cm (8 inches). Sherbrooke in the Eastern Townships was in the 30-35cm range while Burlington, Vermont had a whopping 45cm (18 inches). It was the 4th biggest March storm on record and 12th overall for Burlington.

The weekend forecast for Montreal will feature a brief rise in temperatures before they crash again on Sunday. We will go from our cold morning lows of -19C today up to 0C by late in the day. Look for a bit of light snow late this afternoon, perhaps 1-3cm. Tonight will be cloudy with temperatures rising to 4C by Saturday morning. Expect a few showers overnight that will turn back to flurries by noon Saturday as the mercury falls again. Low by Sunday morning will be cold around -12C with highs for the parade Sunday no better than -7C. It will at least be sunny and dry on Sunday.

MARCH 1993 SUPER STORM

Today is the anniversary of the big super storm of March 13-14, 1993. Montreal had over 40cm of snow and fierce winds, enough to keep the Gazette delivery trucks in their driveways. (Mine was literally buried). The paper was cancelled that Sunday morning for the first and only time in my 15 year career at The Montreal Gazette. You can read more about that storm HERE.

More snow Friday - when will this winter end?

Late Wednesday afternoon in Montreal.

 Our latest winter storm is now affecting Atlantic Canada after dumping close to 20cm on southern Quebec. More snow fell to the south with as much as 30cm along the US border, a little less in Montreal's northern suburbs. This morning we are left with light snow and blowing snow until about noon, with slowly clearing skies by late it the day. It is cold this morning, well below normal at -15C with a windchill of -25C. Roads are in terrible shape with hard packed snow in many areas and still reduced visibility on open highways off island. On Wednesday numerous accidents were reported including one the forced the closure of Highway 201 near Highway 20 in Coteau du Lac for several hours last night. This morning there are several closures east of Montreal around Quebec City as well as the lower St. Lawrence and Chaudière-Appalaches.

The weather will remain cold today with highs no better than -10C dropping to -18C tonight under clear skies with deep snow and diminishing winds. On Friday another weaker low pressure area will move across the Great Lakes and into southern Quebec with 2-4cm of snow. It will be much milder up to -1C. Saturday looks like the best day of the week with cloudy skies and a mild high of plus 3C. A strong cold front may produce some snow late Saturday. On Sunday the weather looks cloudy and colder at -7C for Montreal's St. Patrick's Day Parade.

I wish I could tell you that warmer weather was around the corner, but the balance of March looks colder than normal, which makes me think we have more snow in our future.

Winter Storm Update

The center of this late season winter storm is moving from central Pennsylvania to New York City this evening with heavy snow to the north and mixed precipitation and thunderstorms to the south.

A strong winter storm is currently well underway across southern Quebec and eastern Ontario. Roads are snow covered as the heaviest snow begins to affect metro Montreal. In addition to the heavier snow, strong winds have developed, up to 60km/h at Trudeau Airport in the last hour. They will continue to gust to 70km/h until at least midnight. In terms of accumulations, Montreal has had between 3-5cm so far with 10-15cm across southern Ontario. Storm totals for Montreal will fall into the 15-25cm range once the snow tapers off Thursday morning. Temperatures have fallen dramatically all day from 0C at 5am to -9C currently with a windchill of -19C. Visibility is now under 1km in blowing snow.

The storm is affecting a large portion of the region from the Great Lakes into New England. The photo above from the Burlington Free Press was taken on Interstate 89 in northern Vermont this afternoon.

Powerful winter storm for southern Ontario & Quebec

The Weather Channel warnings map shows the extent of this upcoming winter storm. Weather warnings spread form the Midwest US into Atlantic Canada.

First of all this morning, always remember just how challenging a month March can be. It can feature summer like warmth but also has the distinction of producing some of the biggest snowstorms this city has recorded, 1971 and 1993 come to mind, just to name a few. This one may be another.

A large late season winter storm is expected to move from Kentucky towards New York City today while strengthening. The system has already spread a swath of heavy snow from Chicago to Detroit/Windsor this morning and it is creeping towards the Lake Erie shoreline in Ontario. The storm has even produced thunder and lightning with the heavy snow across Indiana. Snow is forecast to arrive around noon in Montreal becoming heavy this afternoon for the commute and lasting overnight. Widespread blowing snow will also occur as winds increase out of the northeast to 70km/h by late in the day, backing to the north after midnight and gradually decreasing. Storm totals forecast are from 15-25cm (6-10 inches) for the Montreal to Kingston corridor with less to the north of the St. Lawrence River. Meanwhile between 30-60cm (1-2 feet) is forecast across the Eastern Townships and into Vermont and New York. Travel off island to the south may become very difficult this afternoon. In western New York winds expected close to 100km/h have prompted rare blizzard warnings.

Temperatures are rather mild this morning at -2C but are expected to drop as the snow starts, down to -4C by late in the day and to -15C by Thursday morning. Blowing snow is expected to reduce visibility to near zero at times late today and tonight. Skies will slowly clear out Thursday afternoon as the storm moves into Atlantic Canada. It will remain cold on Thursday with gusty winds.

Winter Storm Warning

This graphic is from the NWS in Burlington, Vermont, and gives you an idea of the extent of the heavy snow up to the US border. The amounts listed are in inches. Between 15-20cm (6-8 inches) of snow should fall in metro-Montreal with warnings now in effect for Wednesday.

An appetizer of wet snow fell late last evening and into the wee hours this Tuesday morning with around 3-5cm of new snow. It is a very mild morning here on L'Ile Perrot at plus 1C (33F). Enjoy it folks as we have a major winter snowstorm bearing down on the region Wednesday. Low pressure will come together across the Midwest today and move across the Ohio Valley and towards New York City. All the ingredients are coming together for a big storm to develop. Warm air will be in place initially but arctic air will pour in behind the system.

Snow is expected to begin Wednesday morning and become heavy in the afternoon in southern Quebec and Eastern Ontario. We may have rates of several centimetres per hour at the height of the storm. The St. Lawrence Valley can expect 15-20cm of snow with amounts of up to 30-40cm across the Eastern Townships, Beauce and Gaspe and into upstate New York and Vermont. Winter Storm Warnings are now in effect for metro Montreal and well as the entire length of the St. Lawrence Valley. Warnings extend into Ontario as well as Atlantic Canada and New England. Winds will increase in the afternoon, gusting up to 70km/h and with temperatures forecast to plummet to -10C by late in the day, blowing snow will become a problem. Travel will be very poor in all regions of extreme southern Quebec with low visibility and snow covered roads. If you plan to travel Wednesday, you may want to make alternate plans. The snow will only taper off early Thursday. Temperatures will be mild today around plus 3C. The low tonight will be -3C and with the onset of snow Wednesday, the temperature will drop to -10C by late in the day.

More snow for Montreal

The light snow that fell in the pre-dawn hours Saturday sent this truck into the ditch closing the 401 near 4th Line Road at the Quebec/Ontario border. The 54 year old Quebec driver was taken to Cornwall Hospital with serious injuries. Travel will become slippery again tonight and especially Wednesday in the entire region as winter continues. (ValleyWX Photos)

More snow fell overnight in Montreal with around 3cm observed over most parts of southern Quebec. It is currently a chilly -6C on L'Ile Perrot with also around 3 or 4cm of new snow. We will have a break today with partly sunny skies and mild temperatures near the freezing point. This comes after a decent weekend with a little snow and freezing drizzle early Saturday followed by sunshine and mild temperatures for the balance of the weekend. Last nights system is to our southeast this morning and will be followed by another weak clipper system with more snow tonight. It looks similar to last night with 1-3cm likely. Tuesday will be mild with high temperatures up to plus 3C.

COASTAL STORM

Beyond that the forecast becomes interesting a little tricky for southern Quebec and extreme eastern Ontario. Low pressure is forecast to develop over the southern plains and move towards the middle Atlantic and eventually up the eastern Seaboard towards Cape Cod. This system will spread a wide swath of precipitation in the form of rain and wet snow across New England. The northern edge of the storm is forecast to affect the Townships and Gaspe as well as most of Atlantic Canada. The outer portions of the storm may catch Montreal and the border regions of New York and Vermont on Wednesday. At this time the best guest is for some snow on Wednesday in Montreal, quite windy with blowing snow, especially south of the city. 

A winter storm watch is now in effect for all of Vermont and New York including the St. Lawrence Valley of New York. They may be extended north into extreme southern Quebec later today. Accumulations at this time will range from 15-20cm over Vermont and New York as well as the Townships with perhaps 5-10cm for Montreal. Those amounts will be fine tuned up or down as the track and intensity become more clear. In any event, expect snow Wednesday across a wide area of eastern North America with slow travel by air and ground into Thursday morning.

Warmer weather forecast - but with some precipitation

The first signs of Spring are in the air as we move the clocks ahead tonight and the angle of the sun slowly increases. However we still have towering piles of snow around the city like this one in St. Laurent. It seems like it will take until July for them to melt away. (ValleyWX Photo)

After the stupid cold of this past week, it was great to reach the freezing point on Friday in Montreal. The overnight low at my home on L'Ile Perrot Friday morning was -21C but we manged to just nudge above 0C by late in the day. This was quite a big, but not uncommon temperature swing under the warm March sun. We had a little light snow overnight along a weak cold front, but that is coming to an end and we can expect sunshine the rest of the day and most of Sunday. Temperatures will remain around 0C today, dropping off to -14C tonight. By late in the day and overnight into Monday another weak clipper system from Alberta will bring 1-3cm of snow with continued milder weather. It will be near freezing during the day and about -10C at night. A couple of other small western systems will bring light rain or snow showers through Tuesday. By Wednesday, depending on which computer model you prefer, we may have sunshine or snow. A coastal system is expected to move up the eastern seaboard and could affect southern Quebec. It is too soon and with forecaster confidence rather low at this time, we will hold off on that threat and wait until we get through the weekend.

Short term warming trend ahead for Quebec

A NASA image of the frozen Great Lakes taken on February 26. As you can see only portions of Lake Ontario and the middle of Lake Michigan are ice free. It is estimated that almost 90% of the lake surfaces are frozen over, the most since February 1979. Also Niagara Falls has slowed to a trickle due to ice build up.

It was another cold morning in Montreal with temperatures down to -17C (2F) on L'Ile Perrot. We had 1-2cm of very light snow late yesterday, ending around midnight. The light snow and cold temperatures were just enough to produce some icy travel, especially south of the city this morning. There was a rash of accidents along Highway 30, but the warm March sun has taken care of that this afternoon. Temperatures today will be around -10C (14F) for a high. Tonight will be frigid with near record lows of -21C (-6F) in the city but much colder away from urban areas. The weather looks fairly quiet into the weekend with temperatures moderating to above freezing by Friday with a high of plus 1 or 2C (33-35F). Looking ahead no major storms are on the horizon at this time. The warm up this weekend will not last long with another shot of chilly air and below normal temperatures expected next week. The extended forecast for the balance of March and into early April looks to be colder than normal for southern Quebec. It is not surprising with so much snow and ice around that Spring will be delayed.

Frigid weather continues from coast to coast

A late season cold outbreak is making our weather feel more like January then March. It is another cold morning on L'Ile Perrot currently at -20C. Factor in the wind and it feels like the mid to low -20's. The weather is the same clear across the country with snow in B.C. and extreme cold across the Prairies. Edmonton dropped to -35.1 Sunday morning breaking a record of -34.4 that had stood since the icy cold winter of 1971. It was -39.8 in Coronation on Sunday establishing a new record as well. Other record lows were widespread across the west and windchill readings plunged to the ridiculous -50's.

Montreal received between 2-8cm of snow late Saturday from an arctic front. At my home on L'Ile Perrot and southwest to Cornwall, Ontario, a heavier band of snow dropped about 7cm while only 2cm fell at Trudeau Airport. It will be a cold and breezy day in Montreal today with a high temperature near -11C, the normal high is 0C. Cold and clear overnight with a low near -20C. Temperatures will slowly warm this week with no big storms on the horizon for the city.

Montreal Blizzard of 1971
Today marks the start 43 years ago of the Blizzard of 1971. It would drop 47cm of snow on Montreal in 36 hours with hurricane force winds in the St. Lawrence Valley. The storm would shut down the region. My post on The Suburban Weather Blog has all the details along with photos. Check it out HERE.

The big dig out, March 5, 1971. (Radio Canada Photo) 

Snow squalls create havoc on Ontario roads - frigid Montreal

Carnage on the 400 series of Highways in Ontario. This wreck involving 100 cars was south of Barrie. (CTV)

Multiple snow squalls along a sharp arctic front caused a mess on Ontario roads during the morning commute on Thursday spreading into southern Quebec last evening. A wall of snow and wind pushed off Georgian Bay yesterday morning engulfing Highway 400 south of Barrie, creating zero visibility. Nearly 100 cars were involved in the quick wreck closing the highway for most of the day. Three people were taken to hospital while others were treated at the scene. Buses were brought in to protect drivers and passengers form the extreme cold that has returned to Quebec and Ontario. The front arrived in Montreal late last evening with a series of heavy squalls putting down a quick 2-5cm of snow from the South Shore and here on L'Ile Perrot across the Townships and down to the US border. Gusty winds and blinding snow made travel last night south of the city challenging for a few hours.

A spectacular shot of a snow squall advancing on the northern GTA on Thursday. As we always warn, you can really see how it can go from sunshine to a whiteout in seconds. (CTV)

This morning skies have cleared and it is just plain cold again. I have -19C (-2F) here on L'Ile Perrot and that seems to be a popular temperature around southern Quebec and eastern Ontario. The wind is making it feel like -29C (-20F). Windchill advisories are in place for portions of Ontario and New York but none here in Montreal. I guess we are just too tough for the cold now. Anyway you look at it temperatures are cold, running about 10 to 15 degrees below the normal high/low for late February. It will be sunny today but only make it to -12C. Another weak clipper system and cold front will bring light snow to the region on Saturday into Sunday with perhaps 2-5cm. The main storm track will remain well to the south of southern Quebec over Pennsylvania. Temperatures will warm briefly on Saturday to -4C before a cool down Sunday.

4th warmest January on record around the globe

Just another of the endless accidents this winter caused by blowing snow. This one, involving 8 trucks, has closed the 401 near Cobourg, Ontario, Wednesday, February 26. (CTV News) 

There are just a couple of days left in February it what has been a relentless winter. While many have us have complained about the frigid cold, and with reason, it appears January was not so cold after all, at least globally. According to the National Climatic Data Centre, a branch of NOAA in the US, January was the 4th warmest on record globally dating back to 1880. The average temperature of land and sea was 12.7C or 0.65C above the 20 year average. Landmass areas were 1.17C above the long term average of 2.8C. The warmest places were where you would expect the coldest temperatures to be found, Greenland, Western Canada and Alaska. Portions of Brazil and South Africa also had record warmth. It also marked the 38th consecutive January and 347th consecutive month above the long term averages. Global Warming?Food for thought for sure.

Montreal for comparison had an average temperature of -10.2C for January compared to the normal of -9.7C. There were wild swings in the extremes which likely wore us all down including -27.3C for a low and plus 7.3C for a high. Not so good for roads, cars, pets and people. February has actually been consistently colder in Montreal so it will be interesting to see where the month ranks once we tally up the numbers.

This morning we are looking at a light dusting of snow across southern Quebec as an arctic front moves across the region. Strong winds behind the front will reach 30-50km/h and will cause some blowing snow issues on off island roads. Already this morning a major accident near Cobourg, Ontario on the 401 is being blamed on the snow. More squalls will lift off of Lake Ontario making travel in that area dangerous at times. The snow here will taper off with just a few flurries and cold with highs near -10C. Cold overnight lows of -16C tonight will be followed by more light snow Thursday, windy again at -10C. The weekend looks unsettled with light snow and continuing cold with lows near -20C in Montreal and as cold as -30C elsewhere in the province. It looks like it may warm to above the 0C mark by the end of next week. Keep in mind that March historically has had our biggest and most disruptive snowstorms. Time will tell if this year holds another for Montreal.

Winter returns to southern Quebec & Ontario

Cold weather will dominate the forecast for the rest of this week and well into the next one as arctic high pressure drives frigid air south. Environment Canada has posted a special weather statement for the province indicating very cold air and windchill values for the balance of the week. Temperatures this morning are hovering around -15C in southern Quebec, but a decent west wind is making it feel as cold as the minus 20's. It will be a very cold week with temperatures running 5-10 degrees below normal. We can also expect clouds and a few flurries as weak disturbances move across the region. The first of these today will give some light snow this evening and especially early Wednesday. A few centimetres may fall locally. More light snow is forecast for Thursday with another couple of centimetres. Temperatures will remain cold with low near -20C and daytime highs at best -10C for Montreal. At this time no big storms are on the horizon.

Temperatures drop to well below normal this week

It was a beautiful weekend in southern Quebec including the Bishop's University Campus in Lennoxville. The sunshine and mild temperatures began to slowly eat away at the piles of snow in the Townships. (Photo: Maggie Lowson)

It was a very mild weekend in southern Quebec with warm sunshine and high temperatures well above freezing in the plus 4 or 5C range. Lots of sunshine resulted in plenty of melting with the first all out assault on the snow pack in over a month. It was windy with gusts at Trudeau Airport up to 80km/h on Saturday, much lighter Sunday up to 50km/h. Today will be another breezy day out of the southwest up to 40km/h and much colder with high temperatures pretty much where they are currently, -7C. It is absolutely frigid on the Prairies for late February and some of that cold air will begin to filter into eastern Canada this week. This morning Regina is -34C, Saskatoon -31C and Edmonton -27C.

It will get progressively colder each day this week in Montreal with a continued threat for light snow showers or flurries. No big accumulations are expected with the best chance of measurable snow on Wednesday morning when an arctic boundary crosses the St. Lawrence Valley. There could be a brief snow squall, I will get a better estimate of the timing as we get closer. In the meantime temperatures will range from -7C for highs to -12C for lows. Once we get into the colder air by Wednesday, lows will drop into the -20's through the end of the week with cold daytime highs in the high minus teens.

Rainy windy Friday - turning much colder this weekend

This same storm that is giving Montreal rain is producing big thunderstorms up and down the east coast. This spectacular shot via Twitter was taken in downtown Nashville Thursday afternoon.

Freezing rain warnings remain posted for the entire area, however it has warmed above freezing south of the St. Lawrence River, so they should expire in those areas soon. Low pressure this morning is over Wisconsin with a very long warm front to the east across Ontario and New York State. The front will attempt to lift north of Montreal this morning. Precipitation has overspread the area in the form of freezing rain or rain. I am showing rain here on L'Ile Perrot at 1C (33F) so I think icing will be limited. However as I have mentioned, the ground remains cold so ice can be hiding under any puddle! It will be a mild and windy day with plenty of rain around, up to 25mm (1 inch) possible, high 5C (41F). Winds will increase as well today from 50-80km/h out of the southwest by afternoon. The rain will taper to a few flurries tonight as a cold front crosses the region. There may be a few heavier showers along the front and still the possibility of a rumble of thunder. Thunder was reported in Toronto late last night along the warm front.

Saturday will be another windy, mild day as the storm system stalls across central Quebec. Montreal will have one more warm day before another cold snap starts by Sunday. The high Saturday will be 4C but only -3C on Sunday. Next week looks very cold with highs in the -6 to -10C range and very cold overnight lows down to -18C.

This system has had widespread impacts with cold snowy weather across northwest Ontario and the upper Midwest, and severe thunderstorms with tornadoes across the Ohio Valley southward to the Gulf Coast.

Big 24 hour thaw for Montreal

FREEZING RAIN WARNING
A major storm is taking shape over the central US plains today and is expected to lift northward towards the central Great Lakes. After a sunny, mild day here in Montreal clouds will be on the increase this evening. Expect precipitation in the form of a mix of snow and freezing rain to begin after about 8pm this evening and continue overnight. I believe we will see a quick change to plain rain here in Montreal and points south to the US border and beyond. However north and east of Montreal as well as in the Ottawa Valley the freezing rain may last into the Friday morning commute. There will be lots of water and ice around on Friday morning so allow yourself extra time. Total precipitation will be significant with this storm with between 25-50mm (1-2 inches) expected across southern Ontario, southwest Quebec and northern New England. For this reason Environment Canada has posted a freezing rain warning for Montreal and the Ottawa Valley, with heavy rainfall warnings posted for southern and eastern Ontario. Temperatures will rise to 4C today and drop just below freezing to -1C tonight in Montreal. It will be 4C on Friday in the rain. By late Friday afternoon a very strong cold front will sweep the region with a few heavier showers and perhaps a rumble of thunder. Winds will be gusty on Friday out of the southwest up to 70km/h possible ahead of the cold front.

My concern as always with an elongated warm front, is just how quickly we can dislodge the cold air at the surface of the St. Lawrence Valley. I believe it will be fast this time with a quick transition over to plain rain, but you just never know, each front behaves so differently once it interacts with the valley. Keep in mind that we have a very cold surface and even when the temperatures go above freezing there will still be lots of ice around under the puddles.

Windy wet storm for Montreal by Friday

I want to welcome some of my new readers to the Valley Weather Blog via The Suburban website. I have been writing about the weather since I was about 10 years old, oh so long ago. This blog has been around since 2005. I bring to you a clean, uncomplicated view of the weather for Montreal, southern Quebec and many other parts of North America. Thank you for the read, enjoy and please send in any comments or weather photos you may have and I will share them with our readers.

Another storm system will impact the St. Lawrence Valley and southern Quebec late Thursday into Friday. Until then we are looking at much milder air in place today with perhaps our first high temperature above freezing in Montreal since January 18. There will be some wet snow today, not much accumulations, perhaps 1-2cm with a high of 1C (34F). On Thursday weak high pressure will be in place with partial sunshine before the clouds thicken by late in the day. Temperatures will again be mild with a high of 2C (36F) overnight lows below freezing to -3C (27F).

Another winter storm just missed Montreal on Tuesday with only 1-3cm of snow here. The storm pounded southern New England and Atlantic Canada again with as much as 30cm of snow. Above is Portsmouth, New Hampshire yesterday. Photo: Seacoast Online

Tomorrow night Montreal will begin to be influenced by strong low pressure that is forecast to develop over Colorado and move towards the central Great Lakes. A long warm front will approach Montreal with snow and freezing rain developing in the evening and lasting into the overnight from Montreal south and well into Friday north and east of the city. The wintry precipitation should change over to rain for most of us in southern Ontario and Quebec but areas north of the St. Lawrence Valley could see a prolonged period of freezing rain. Travel early Friday may be impacted. We are expecting 25mm of precipitation in various forms. I will try to nail down the amount and exact timing as the event draw closer. It will be mild on Friday with a high of 4C (39F). A strong cold front will sweep the area late on Friday with very strong and gusty winds and some isolated heavy rain showers. There may even be some thunder late Friday. This storm will become another big news-maker as the cold front produces some severe thunderstorms from the Ohio Valley into the deep southern US Thursday and Friday.

A little snow followed by much needed melting

Thunderstorms by late Thursday and Friday could stretch from Ontario to the Gulf Coast just days after heavy snow. The winter of 2013-2014 certainly has been anything but boring.

It is a windy and chilly morning in Montreal as low pressure and an associated warm front move south of the city. Gusty winds have developed along with some snow. I expect around 2-5cm for Montreal in the next few hours. There will also be some blowing snow as northeast winds gust to 40km/h. Before the cloud cover moved in last evening we managed another frigid night with the temperature hitting -20C just after midnight here on L'Ile Perrot. From that point it has slowly risen and that trend will continue today. Look for a high temperature near -3C today and up above freezing to plus 1 or 2C Wednesday. More flurries and perhaps some freezing drizzle overnight into Wednesday as the warm front lifts north of the city. By Friday we will be in the mild air with showers and temperatures up to 4C. The weekend at this time looks cooler as a potent cold front sweeps the region late in the day Friday. That front is expected to produce a round of thunderstorms believe it or not from the Gulf Coast to the Great Lakes. Perhaps we may hear a rumble of thunder in Montreal as well in what has been an odd winter. I will have more details on that later.

Warmer week ahead for southern Quebec

Clearing away the 30cm of snow at the Champlain Centre in Plattsburgh, NY on Saturday. The Valentines Day storm has cut deeper into exhausted snow removal budgets. The winter of 2013-2014 is proving costly for many parts of Canada and the US in the form of thousands of flight cancellations, power outages, heating costs and loss of income. (ValleyWX Photo)

It is another cold morning here in Montreal, currently -17C (2F) at my home, but there is some good news on the horizon. We are finally seeing hints of a pattern change after what has been one long and cold winter. Officially Montreal has not gone above 0C (32F) in the month of February. As we all know, with the exception of one week in January, most of this winter has been spent well below freezing. That is about to change this week as a warmer southwest flow of air begins to make its mark as early as this evening. After a sunny and cold day today at -10C (14F), temperatures will only drop to -14C (7F) tonight and moderate to near freezing on Tuesday. A little light snow is possible as a system slides to our south on Tuesday with accumulations of 2-5cm possible across the area including eastern Ontario. By Wednesday the warmer air will be well established with highs near plus 3C (39F) and a few showers or flurries. It will remain mild well into the weekend with sunshine Thursday followed by more showers on Friday.

Over the weekend another storm developed and passed well south and east of Montreal, this time sparring southern Quebec with just a few flurries and gusty winds. It rapidly deepened into a major blizzard affecting the New England Coast and Eastern Canada. Parts of New Brunswick and P.E.I. reported between 30 to 40cm of snow with winds gusting over 80km/h. In Newfoundland snow and freezing rain were accompanied by fierce winds, a peak gust of 170km/h was reported at Wreckhouse, with 124km/h at Cape Race.

20-40cm snowstorm for Southern Quebec

L'Ile Perrot has recorded 15cm of snow since midnight. (ValleyWX)

So what looked to be a near miss two days ago will turn into a 25cm Valentines Day snowstorm for Montreal. You have to love weather forecasting in southern Quebec. As with any coastal storm, a track change of 50km east or west can spell a huge difference in what you see at the surface. We are seeing that this morning with a sharp cutoff in snow as you move northwest of Montreal into the Ottawa Valley. Here on L'Ile Perrot I have measured 15cm (6") since midnight including 5cm (2") between 4am and 6:30am. Overnight we had strong northeast winds up to 65km/h they have since backed off to the northwest and down to 30km/h. They will gust to 50km/h today causing blowing snow with visibility often under 1km. The heavy snow will taper off by noon with storm totals of 15cm for eastern Ontario, up to 25cm here in Montreal and 30-50cm in the Townships, Quebec City and the Gaspe region. The snow has produced the usual problems on the roads in southern Quebec along with a fair amount of school closings, oddly north of the city where they have had less snow. There are numerous delays and cancellations at Trudeau Airport with their website advising you to call ahead.

Strong low pressure on the Maine coast this morning is spiraling precipitation down the St. Lawrence Valley. The barometric pressure has been falling rapidly for the last several hours indicating a deepening storm, it is currently 990mb here at my home. Temperatures are thankfully mild at -3C, where they should remain for most of the day. It looks like another weak system will bring 2 or 3cm of snow for Saturday before we clear out for a calm and cold Sunday.

Happy Valentine's Day everybody, be safe out there.

Winter Storm Update

Sat image of major Nor'Easter centered east of Atlantic City Thursday evening. Snow has fallen from Georgia to Atlantic Canada including Montreal.

Strong low pressure is located off the Jersey Shore near Atlantic City this evening. The system is forecast to deepen rapidly as it lifts towards Cape Cod and then off into Atlantic Canada. Heavy snow has been falling across portions of the middle Atlantic states into New England today. As much as 60cm (2 feet) has fallen in some Virginia and Maryland locations. The steady snow is moving into Montreal as of 8pm with 10-15cm forecast by morning. A snowfall warning has been posted for Montreal and most of southern Quebec. Winds are increasing out of the northeast and will gust between 40-60km/h overnight in Montreal, and up to 100km/h in Quebec City. Widespread blowing snow is forecast along the entire St. Lawrence Valley of Quebec with travel not recommended south and east of Montreal. As much as 50cm may fall in Sherbrooke and the Townships into northern Vermont before the snow tapers off later Friday.

A more westerly track equals snow for Montreal

SNOWFALL WARNING POSTED FOR METRO MONTREAL @ 11:30AM

SNOW AMOUNTS FORECAST:
Quebec City - Townships - Burlington - Plattsburgh 15-30cm (6-12")
Vaudreuil - South Shore 10-15cm (4-6")
Montreal 15cm (6")
Cornwall 5-10cm (2-4")
Kemptville 2-5cm (1-2")

This has been one harsh winter in so many places. The photo above from Global News Regina is a major accident involving 6 vehicles (including the Ambulance) on the Trans Canada Highway near Pense, Saskatchewan. The road was closed between Moose Jaw and Regina for hours Wednesday. 

Winter storm warnings are in effect for Quebec City and the Eastern Townships as well as all of Vermont and eastern New York. The much advertised winter storm (at least on this Blog) will arrive later today and into the overnight hours. Strong low pressure that has given the southern US a major ice and snow storm will lift from Cape Hatteras northeast to Cape Cod overnight and into Atlantic Canada on Friday. Clouds will increase in Montreal today along with a strengthening northeast wind. The snow starts this evening and will last until about noon on Friday. There will be a sharp cutoff in amounts as you head north and west but look for a good 5-10cm for metro Montreal with as much as 15cm across the South Shore and up to 30cm in the Townships and Quebec City. While no warnings are in effect for Montreal at this time, strong winds, up to 60km/h will cause considerable blowing and drifting snow on off island highways. Further east the heavy snow will be accompanied by winds up to 100km/h around Quebec City. I would advise not to travel south or east tonight and Friday.

Eastern Ontario has a special weather statement in place for snow and wind overnight with about 5cm possible. Travel down the 401 towards Cornwall and Prescott will be tricky but once west of the 416, it should be much better. Temperatures are cold again this morning at -20C here on L'Ile Perrot. Look for highs around -10C today warming overnight tonight to -4C or so in the snow by Friday.

The weather has been nasty in so many places. Yesterday this same storm created traffic gridlock on many North Carolina Highways including Raleigh and Charlotte and virtually shut down Atlanta. Ice covered trees and power lines came crashing down across Georgia, Tennessee and the Carolinas with hundreds of thousands in the dark.

Meanwhile snow and blowing snow from a clipper system out west created dangerous travel across the southern Prairies with roads closed in Saskatchewan and numerous major accidents with injuries.

Icy cold morning - major Nor'Easter to miss Montreal

A Transport Quebec image of ice fog lifting off the St. Lawrence River onto Highway 20 near L'Ile Perrot.

It is another frigid morning in Montreal with the temperature down to -25C (-13F) here on L'Ile Perrot. That cold has caused traffic problems on bridges leading to the island of Montreal. The bridge connecting L'Ile Perrot to Montreal was blocked this morning by a major accident. Other bridges in the city are reporting black ice as fog lifts off the St. Lawrence River. It will be another sunny, cold day with highs near -10C. Cold again tonight dropping close to -20C once again and sunny Thursday through increasing afternoon clouds, milder at -5C.

At this time it looks like a near miss for Montreal. That could change so stay tuned.

Coastal Storm Update
Our attention then turns to a developing winter storm that will become a big news maker across the deep south and along the US east coast and finally into Atlantic Canada. This will be a deepening storm becoming a full fledged Nor'Easter by the time it reaches the middle Atlantic states. Already this morning a major ice storm is unfolding across Georgia and portions of the Carolinas. Up to one inch of ice is forecast with widespread power outages expected. Winter storm warnings for heavy snow are up as far north as eastern Vermont. While recent models have trended a little west with the track of the storm, it still looks like the snow will just miss Montreal. How close? Well warnings are in effect up to the Quebec border with snow forecast in Quebec City and Sherbrooke but none for Montreal at this time. That could change so keep in touch with the latest forecast. The time frame for the snow locally will be Thursday night and Friday. It will be windy across the entire forecast region with snow from the international border south and east. Blizzard conditions are likely from New Hampshire and Maine into New Brunswick and the Gaspe region of eastern Quebec. Travel will be very poor in those regions.

Sunny - cold week ahead

High pressure will dominate our weather through Thursday with sunshine, but cold weather. This morning the temperature has dropped to -20C here on L'Ile Perrot with readings as cold as -25C in St Jerome. Nothing but sunshine and chilly temperatures for most of this week. The high today will be near -11C. The good news is that the sun is feeling stronger and warmer these days. The bad news is it is colder than normal and we have piles of snow on the landscape that looks like it will never leave. I know I have a lawn underneath the snow, but i have not seen it since late November.

AcuWeather.com potential track for this weeks storm. Again a near miss for Montreal.

Valentines Day Storm?
A big weather story over the next few days will be a developing winter storm over the Gulf Coast states that will spread snow and freezing rain from Texas to Georgia today and then snow from the Carolinas to New England by late Thursday. Atlanta and Dallas are looking at significant ice once again. As I mentioned yesterday, there is still not a solid forecast track for this latest storm, but most scenarios carry the center too far south and east of the St. Lawrence Valley for any appreciable snowfall. It will likely be cloudy on Friday with northeast winds and perhaps a few flurries here in Montreal. The snow will fall across Vermont and points east including the Gaspe and Atlantic Canada. This could be a big storm for places like Philadelphia, New York, Boston and Halifax with perhaps 30cm (1 foot) of wind driven snow. Coastal areas may change over to rain or a mix. We will need to look at later model runs to determine a forecast, but if the same pattern that has been in place all winter continues, the storm will miss Montreal.

Sunshine & cold to start week

Looking out over the frozen Vaudreuil Bay towards the Island of Montreal on Sunday. The ice is quite thick this year with lots of skating and ice fishing taking place over the weekend. (ValleyWX)

There is not a whole lot to talk about as far as Montreal weather is concerned this morning. It is another cold Monday with current temperatures between -14C and -18C across southern Quebec. Between 1-2cm of very fluffy light snow fell overnight with clearing skies now and sunshine expected all day today. It will be cold with highs no better than -8C. It will drop to -18C tonight and up to -11C on Tuesday with lots of sun. 

The sunshine will last well into Thursday before a winter storm takes shape along the Eastern Seaboard. The forecast for this system at this time is all over the place with a track well out into the Atlantic to one that hugs the coast. Either scenario will likely keep Montreal and eastern Ontario on the western edge of the heavier snowfall. It will snow Friday but it could just be a few centimeters here in the St. Lawrence Valley with more to the south and east. Later computer model runs should help solidify a track as well as the location and intensity of  the precipitation.

Breezy chilly weekend for Quebec - Ontario

It looks like we are into a quiet weather period for Montreal and southern Quebec. A few flurries occurred overnight as the remnants of a Lake Ontario snow band drifted down the St. Lawrence Valley. It put down several centimeters in the 401 corridor, but just a dusting here in Montreal. Today will be sunny, but breezy southwest winds up to 50km/h may blow around some of the new snow as well as make the -8C high feel much colder. Clear skies tonight along with more sunshine for Saturday, lows -12C highs -8C.

We are dealing with two different outlooks in the extended forecast. The Environment Canada forecast for Montreal is looking at several days of sunny, cold weather with little to no precipitation through the end of next week. As always they take a very safe route in public forecasting of the weather here in Quebec. Looking at our neighboring National Weather Service office in Burlington, Vermont, indications are that a potent trough could bring some light snow late Saturday into Sunday, so be aware of that. Beyond that an Arctic boundary will cross the region late Monday with a period of heavier snow and perhaps a squall or two possible. Deeper into next week some computer models are indicating an east coast storm by Thursday. It is way out there but with winter travel so precarious at best, thought my readers would like a heads up. As always forecasts change by the minute, and this has been a challenging winter to forecast to say the least.

***If you are heading down the 401 today to Toronto or south on Interstate 81 to Syracuse NY, be aware of a lake effect snow warning. Snow squalls are affecting those areas especially west of Brockville on Highway 401.

Back to the cold for Montreal

Clearing the light 5cm snowfall from Pincourt roads here on L'Ile Perrot. ValleyWX

A warm day would be nice, I mean really warm, but that is not in our future anytime soon. After the 5-7cm snowfall in Montreal on Wednesday, skies cleared out overnight and the temperature responded dropping to -20C currently. Look for sunshine today and a high of -10C. Some clouds and flurries tonight but remaining chilly around -15C. Friday is the same with partly cloudy skies, a few flurries and highs no better than -8C but with a nasty southwest wind to 50km/h producing more blowing snow especially off island.

Yesterdays storm behaved as expected passing across southern New England with the moderate and even heavy snow staying just south of Montreal along the 401 and US border. Amounts ranged from a record breaking 15cm at Pearson in Toronto to as much as 20-25cm in Burlington, Vermont and Plattsburgh NY. That system moved rapidly off the Atlantic Coast and is now affecting portions of the Maritimes and Newfoundland. Looking ahead we have several coastal storms expected over the next 10 days, but they are expected at this time to remain well to our south and east. It will remain cold with below normal temperatures into next week.

Major storm skirts region

AP Photo of big snow clearing operations in Kansas. Topeka had a record (31cm) 12.5 inches of snow on Tuesday.

Snow has started falling in Montreal at 8am this morning with 5-10cm forecast. Low pressure over the Ohio Valley will move east across southern New England today and into the Atlantic. Snow is falling across a wide area from the Midwest into Ontario and extreme southern Quebec. A winter storm warning is in effect for all of Vermont and into the Eastern Townships today for 15-25cm of snow. As mentioned Montreal will remain on the northern fringe of the system with light snow tapering off by late this afternoon. Temperatures will be around -6C today.

The snow is also falling across the major cities of the US Northeast, so travel delays are increasing. Thousands of flights have been cancelled or delayed including many from Trudeau Airport in Montreal. The airlines are asking that you call ahead before leaving for the airport. It will be just another one of the many long snowy days for winter weary residents of the central, northeast US and eastern Canada. South of the snow, freezing rain has been coating everything across the middle Atlantic southwest into Tennessee and Arkansas. Numerous trees and power lines are reported down with power outages mounting.

In Ontario snow is falling across the 401 corridor from Windsor to the Quebec border producing poor driving conditions. Gusty winds out of the northeast are causing blowing and drifting snow. Delays are also reported at Pearson Airport in Toronto.

Some snow Ontario & Quebec

Montreal remains just on the northern edge of this current winter storm. (AccuWeather)

A fast moving winter storm will track from the southern US plains across southern New England today and Wednesday spreading snow across extreme southern Ontario and Quebec. After a partly cloudy day today with a few flurries, clouds will thicken tonight with snow starting overnight in Ontario and by early morning here in Montreal. The snow will fall all day and taper by evening. Amounts will be fairly light here in Montreal, less than 5cm (2 inches). Further southwest 5-15cm (2-6 inches) is expected from Brockville to Windsor along the 401. Travel will be less than ideal in those regions tomorrow. South of Montreal is where the main storm will occur with 15-30cm (6-12 inches) forecast for portions of southern Vermont and central New York into New Hampshire. A winter storm warning is posted for those regions with winter weather advisories for lesser amounts of snow up to the Canadian border. It all clears out by Thursday with sunny cold weather into this upcoming weekend.

Temperatures last night fell rapidly here on L'Ile Perrot, down to -16C (4F) at 2am but cloud cover stopped the free fall and we are currently at -11C (12F). The high today will be -6C (21F). Looking ahead into Sunday another storm in a very active pattern - but it looks like the path of these systems will continue to be well south of Montreal leaving us on the edge. Expecting just flurries at this time and cold once again.

Six weeks of winter or perhaps more for Montreal

The exact moment when Phil, despite thick cloud cover, somehow saw his shadow! (VisitPA.com)

Not surprising in a year that has seen so much winter weather, our furry little forecasters predicted six more weeks of winter yesterday. There are numerous groundhogs out there, but the two "main players" Wiarton Willie in Ontario and Punxsutawney Phil in Pennsylvania, both predicted more of this agonizing winter. Now as we all know here in Canada, six more weeks of winter is no big deal, that basically takes us to where winter would begin to wind down anyway. We also are well aware that us usually lasts beyond that and into April. With the piles of snow in my front yard measuring several feet, it would take a thaw the entire month of February just to melt it away. Sadly that won't happen with below freezing temperatures predicted for the foreseeable future as well as several chances for more snow.

MORE SNOW
Over the weekend low pressure brought about 12-15cm (5-6") of snow to Montreal Saturday night. This morning we are a chilly -13C (9F) with forecast highs under sunny skies today and Tuesday expected near -7C (19F) in Montreal. A gathering storm is forecast to develop over the southern plains today and take a trek northeast across southern New England by Wednesday. This path leaves southern Quebec and Ontario and the northern edge of the heaviest snow. At this time snow and gusty northeast winds are forecast for Wednesday, with 5-10cm expected in Montreal and Ottawa. South of us more snow is forecast with up to 20cm (8 inches) in NY and Vermont. A winter storm watch has been posted there, they may be needed for the Townships as well later today.

A final note, after all the fuss in Atlanta last week over 2-3 inches of snow, the city reached a record high of 73F (23C) on Sunday. That must be nice, all the snow gone in one week. It will take a little longer for that to occur in Montreal, sad to say.